An Arizona community is grappling with the loss of a local woman, Kristin Little, 39, of Prescott, who tragically died after her vehicle plunged approximately 1,000 feet off a cliff in the Thumb Butte area. The incident occurred on Friday evening, approximately two miles away from Copper Basin Road; deputies discovered Little had been ejected from her car after it had descended roughly 500 feet, being discovered about halfway down the mountainside, as detailed in reports from Yavapai County Sheriff's Office provided by 12News and FOX10 Phoenix.
Deputy units responding to the scene delayed recovery operations until Saturday morning due to the challenging terrain and lack of sunlight, opting instead to secure the area overnight, in the end performing the recovery with the aid of drones and hiking crews on harnesses authorities, they believe Little was driving north when for reasons unknown her vehicle veered from the roadway, leading to the fatal plunge, this based on the initial assessments of the scene.
The response and recovery efforts saw both compassion and diligence, with mentions of Deputy Abel Sanchez who notified Little's family, and Deputy Miller who returned her uninjured dog, CJ, back home to her parents, as Jinger, Little's mother, revealed in an interview obtained by FOX10 Phoenix; they spoke highly of their daughter's spirit, recalling how she "was always looking to do some adventurous thing," according to John, Little's father.
The community's heartfelt support has been a source of solace for the grieving family, who describe Little as someone who "made every room she walked in brighter and better," as Jinger Cutting told FOX10 Phoenix, they have also expressed gratitude towards the emergency responders for their efforts to stay beside Little throughout the night and for utilizing her smartwatch, alongside the Yavapai County emergency notification system which aided in the swift location of Little's body. The family has tentative plans to establish a foundation in her honor and arrange a celebration of life in the great outdoors that Kristin held dear.
